Furnace for heating billets.



No. 694,022. Pate nt'ad Feb. 25, I902;

c.. H.- momma. FURNACE FOB HEATING BILLETS.

7 (Application filed NOV. 10, 1 899.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. MORGAN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MASSA- FURNACE FOR HEATING BILLETS'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,022, dated February 25, 1902.

Application filed November 10,1899. Serial No. 736,559. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES H. MORGAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Furnaces forHeating Billets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, in which- Figure 1 represents aside view of a furnace for heating billets embodying my invention, shown in longitudinal vertical sectional View on line A A, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the walls of the furnace, shown in sectional View on the plane of line B B, Fig. 1, and with one of the supplementalsupportingpiers shown in section on line C C, Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are top and end views of a modified form of one of the supplemental supporting-piers, and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the supporting-pier shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Similar letters refer to similar difierent figures.

My invention relates to that class of furnaces in which the billets to be heated are successively pushed into the heating-chamber at the charging end of the furnace, forming a row of billets which are moved forward with a step-by-step motionas each successive billet is pushed into the heating-chamber; andmy invention consists in providing means whereby the billets at a predetermined point in the row are moved forward independently of the charging mechanism, thereby moving the billets farther apart in order to provide space for the introduction and operation of means for turning the billets, so that the side of the billet which had hitherto rested upon the parts in the tracks or billet-supports will be brought up-.

permost, thereby effecting a more uniform diffusion of heat through the billet.

In the following specification and accompanying drawings I have described one embodiment of my present invention and have pointed outin the annexed claims whatI deem to be novel.

Referring to the drawings, a denotes the heating-chamber of a furnace having a charging-opening a at one end for the reception of billets and a delivery-opening a at the opposite end for the removal of billets. Heat can be supplied to the heating-chamber a by any of the known methods. In the present in: stance the chamber is heated by a fire-pit b at one end of the heating-chamber, and the currents of heated air pass over the bridge 1;" and through the chamber to an escape-flue or chimney 11 The billets c are successively pushed through the charging-opening a from a shelf or table cl by means of a reciprocating pusher (Z, actuated by a steam or hydraulic cylinder (1 From the shelf dthe billets are received upon water-pipes 6, through which a circulation of water is maintained in the usualmannerinbillet-heatingfurnaces. The water-pipes e are supported upon piers'e, by which the pipes are raised above the floor a of the heating-chamber. The piers e extend from the charging end of the chamber toa point about midway between the charging- I opening a and the delivery-opening a and at the inner ends of the piers e are placed supplemental piers f, which in the present instance are constructed of metal and are inserted within the floor of the heating-chamber. The piers f are stopped or provided with an upper supporting-surface forming an upper step f on a level with the water-pipes e, on which the row of billets c are pushed from the pipes e, and alow'er supporting-surface or lower step f on a level with the floor of the heatingchamber, which forms a hearth g, from which the heated billets are removed through a delivery-opening a Each of the piers fis reces'sed at f and the recess communicates with the heating-chamber by an opening f on the plane of the lower step f Within the recess f I place a reciprocating pushingbar it, with its forward end resting upon the lower step f and substantially filling the openingf. The rear end of the pusher-bar h is pivoted to one end of a lever 71., which is pivoted at its opposite end to a fixed bracket 71 and is actuated by a steam or hydraulic cylinder h by means of a sliding cross-head h connected with the lever by a link hi. The pusher-bar h when at the rear end of its movement is preferably made to project into the ICO heatingchamber and into the path of a billet as it falls from the upper step f to the lower step f so that the billet in its descent will strike the corners of the pusher-bars h, causing the billet to turn in its descent and as the billet strikes the lower step to bring the side uppermost which had rested upon the waterpipes eand step f. As the row of billets c are pushed along by the pusher d each billet as it reaches the edge of the step f will fall by gravity upon the stepf turning one quarter-revolution between the stepf and the pro-.

jecting end of the pusher-bar h, which impedes its fall and causes it to turn another revolution between the projecting end of the pusher-bar h and the step f or one half-revolution in its entire descent between the steps f and f falling upon the step f directly in front of the pusher-bar h,by which it is pushed forward by its reciprocating motion, forming a second row of billets c on the hearth g. From the second row 0 the advancing billets are supported and withdrawn through the delivery-opening a by the attendants. Each billet, therefore, in moving from the opening a to the delivery-opening a presents one of its sides to the direct action of the heated air during its passage from the chargin g-openin g to the edge of the step f and its opposite side during its passage from the step j to the delivery-opening (1 The portions of the pier it upon which the heated billets are supported are protected against heat by providing the steps f and f with a watercirculation through the pipes t' and 11, which are conveniently cast within the pier.

In Figs. 3, 4, and 5 I have shown a modification of the pier f, which consists in forming an intermediate step j between the steps f and f having its upper surface on a plane with the upper surface of the projecting end of the pusher-bar h, said step j being arranged in the path of the descending billets in orderof contact with the heated billets, or in lieu of a beveled upper surface, as shown in Fig. 4, a longitudinal rib f in Fig. 2 can be form ed on the upper surface of the step f.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a furnace for heating billets, the combination with a heating-chamber, of a billetsupport or track extending from one end of the heating-chamber partially through the same and adapted to support the billets transversely thereon, a pushing mechanism for pushing the billets along said billet-support or track by a sidewise movement, a second billet-support or track adapted to support the billets transversely thereon and extending from the first-named track, but in the same direction,toward the delivery end of the chamber, means for separating the billets as they pass from the first to the second of said tracks, and a second pushing mechanism for pushing the separated billets along said second track toward the delivery-openin g, substantially as described. U

2. In a furnace for heating billets, the combination with a lieatingchamber, of a billetsupport or track extending from one end of the heatingchamber partially through the same and adapted to support the billets transversely thereon, a pushing mechanism for pushing the billets along said support or track, asecond billet-support or track extending from the first-named track, but in the same direction, toward the delivery end of the chamber, an opening through the bed or floor of the heating-chamber between said tracks and a second pushing mechanism made to operate through said opening for pushing the billets along said second track toward the delivery-opening, substantially as described.

3. In a furnace for heating billets, the combination with a heating-chamber, of a billetsupport, or track, extending from one end of the heating-chamber partially through the same, a pushing mechanism for pushing the billet along said billet-support and supported transversely thereon, a second longitudinal track or billet-support extending from the first-named track but in the same direction toward the delivery end of the chamber, said second track being on a lower level, whereby the billet, when pushed off the first track, falls by gravity upon the second track in a position transversely thereto, and a second pushing mechanism for pushing the billet along said second track toward the delivery-openings, substantially as described.

4:. In a furnace for heating billets, the combination with a heating-chamber, of a track leading from the charging end of the chamber toward the delivery end, means for moving the billets along said track, a hearth placed on a lower level than said track and extending from said track toward the delivery end of the chamber, supplemental piers on which the billets are received from said track and delivered to said hearth, said piers having recesses fora pushing mechanism, and a pushing mechanism by which the billets are pushed along said hearth, substantially as described.

5. In a furnace for. heating billets, the combination with a heating-chamber, of supplementary piers inserted in the floor of the chamber and between its ends forming a step down which the billets fall by gravity as they are pushed off said piers, means for pushing the billets 0E said piers, recesses in said piers for a pushing mechanism, and a pushing mechanism inclosed in said recesses by which the billets are moved away from said supplementary piers, substantially as described.

6. In a furnace for heating billets, the combination of billet-supports on different horizontal planes, whereby the billets are carried from a higher to a lower level by gravity, and

a reciprocating pushing-bar by which the billets are moved forward on the lower level, said bar projectinginto the path of abillet as it falls from the higher to the lower level, whereby the billets are turned in falling, substantially as described.

7. In a furnace for heating billets, thesupplemental metal piersf, located in the floor of the heating-chamber and forming steps, water-pipes inclosed in said piers, a track for billets onthe plane of the upper step and a hearth on the plane of the lower step, means for pushing the billets along said track and means for pushing the billets along said hearth, substantially as described.

8. In a furnace for heating billets, the combination with the heating-chamber, of a billetsupporting surface'upon which the billets are supported in their passage from one end of said chamber to the other, a pushing mechanism by which the billets are moved from one end of the heating-chamber toward the center of said chamber, means for separating the billets at the center of the chamber, and a second pushing mechanism by which the billets when separated are moved in the same direction from the center toward the other end of said chamber, substantially as described.

9. In a furnace for heating billets, the combination of a heating-chamber having an admission-opening at one end, a delivery-opening at the opposite end for the admission and delivery of billets, a track or billet-support extending from said admission-opening to said delivery-opening and adapted to support the billets transversely thereon, a pushing mechanism for pushing the billets along said track or support'by a sidewise movement from the admission-opening to thecenter of said heating-chamber, a second pushing mechanism for pushing the billets by a sidewise movement from the center of the heatingchamber to the delivery end thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this the 8th day of November, 1899.

CHAS. H. MORGAN. Witnesses;

RUFUS B. FOWLER, AVA T. MURPHY. 

